TVB: “Broadcast still delivers biggest NFL audiences”
January 15, 2026
Recent media coverage has promoted Prime Video’s January 10th NFL playoff coverage between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears as the most-watched NFL game ever on a streaming platform in the US. However, TVB – the not-for-profit trade association representing America’s local broadcast television industry – points out that a closer examination of Nielsen data shows that broadcast television continues to deliver significantly larger NFL audiences for postseason and regular season games.
According to Nielsen, the Live+1 audience in the US for the Prime Video telecast among people 2+ posted a 9.82 rating, delivering 31.6 million impressions. However, this figure includes local broadcast station viewership in the home team Designated Market Areas (DMAs), specifically Green Bay and Chicago.
While Green Bay’s local broadcast data has not yet been reported, Nielsen has released Chicago DMA results. In Chicago alone, the game delivered an 18.4 Live+Same Day rating, totaling approximately 1.73 million impressions. When the Chicago broadcast audience is removed from the national total, Prime Video’s streaming-only audience is estimated at approximately 29.87 million impressions.
The highest NFL game for that weekend using the same metrics (Live +1 for people 2+) was on broadcast television (Fox) with a 12.73 rating and 40.97 million impressions in the US
During the regular season, broadcast NFL games consistently generate large viewership in the US. The Thanksgiving Day NFL game on CBS achieved a 17.81 rating and 57.33 million impressions while the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles rematch on September 14th, which aired on Fox, earned a 10.5 rating, delivering 33.81 million impressions.
While streaming platforms continue to grow, Nielsen data makes clear that broadcast television remains the most powerful platform for reaching the largest NFL audiences, concluded TVB.
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